Henri Cartier-Bresson

Early Life and Education

Born on August 22, 1908, in Chanteloup-en-Brie, France, Henri Cartier-Bresson grew up in a wealthy family of textile manufacturers. From an early age, he was exposed to the arts – his father was an accomplished amateur painter, and his uncle was a talented photographer. Despite his privileged background, Cartier-Bresson developed a strong social conscience and egalitarian worldview that would later influence his photographic approach.

He was educated at the Lycée Condorcet in Paris but found traditional education stifling. After a brief, unsuccessful stint at his family's textile business, he pursued his artistic interests. Cartier-Bresson initially trained as a painter, studying under Cubist artist André Lhote from 1927 to 1928. This formal artistic education would profoundly influence his photographic composition and sense of geometry throughout his career.

Discovery of Photography

In the late 1920s, Cartier-Bresson became acquainted with the Surrealist movement in Paris, which emphasized the unconscious, chance, and spontaneity. These concepts would later inform his photographic philosophy. After a period in Africa, where he lived as a hunter, he returned to France in 1931 and became seriously interested in photography after seeing a photograph by Hungarian photographer Martin Munkácsi showing three naked African boys running into Lake Tanganyika.

Cartier-Bresson acquired his first Leica camera in 1932 – a small, portable 35mm camera that would become his signature tool. The Leica's unobtrusiveness allowed him to capture candid moments without being noticed, a practice he described as "prowling the streets... feeling predisposed to chance encounters and fully alive to the discovery of the world." He would use Leica cameras almost exclusively throughout his photographic career.

The Decisive Moment

Cartier-Bresson's most significant contribution to photography was his concept of "the decisive moment," a term that came from his 1952 book Images à la Sauvette (published in English as The Decisive Moment). He explained the concept as: "To me, photography is the simultaneous recognition, in a fraction of a second, of the significance of an event as well as of a precise organization of forms which give that event its proper expression."

This philosophy emphasized several key elements:

• Capturing spontaneous, unposed moments
• Finding the exact moment when visual elements align in perfect composition
• Revealing truth about subjects through candid observation
• Never manipulating photographs after taking them
• Shooting without using flash or tripod to remain unobtrusive

Cartier-Bresson famously refused to crop his photographs in the darkroom, seeing the composition created in the viewfinder as sacrosanct. To demonstrate this, he often printed his photographs with a thin black border showing the entire negative frame.

Pre-War Career

In the 1930s, Cartier-Bresson held his first exhibitions in New York, Madrid, and Mexico. He also worked as a filmmaker with Jean Renoir, assisting on films including "La Règle du Jeu" (The Rules of the Game). This cinematic experience influenced his understanding of framing and movement in still photography.

During this period, he traveled extensively throughout Europe, Mexico, and the United States, creating some of his most iconic images. His first photojournalistic assignment came in 1937 when he covered the coronation of King George VI for the French weekly Regards.

World War II Experience

When World War II broke out, Cartier-Bresson joined the French Army as a corporal in the film and photo unit. In 1940, he was captured by German soldiers and spent 35 months in prisoner-of-war camps. After two unsuccessful attempts, he escaped on his third try in 1943 and subsequently joined an underground organization that helped prisoners and escapees.

During this period, Cartier-Bresson was presumed dead. The Museum of Modern Art in New York began preparing a posthumous exhibition of his work in 1943, which he was able to attend in person after learning of it following the liberation of France.

Magnum Photos

In 1947, Cartier-Bresson co-founded Magnum Photos with Robert Capa, David Seymour, George Rodger, and William Vandivert. This pioneering photographic cooperative allowed photographers to maintain copyright control over their work while gaining worldwide distribution. The agency embodied a humanist approach to photojournalism, emphasizing dignity and empathy in reporting world events.

As a Magnum photographer, Cartier-Bresson documented pivotal historical moments, including:

• The Chinese Civil War and the last days of the Kuomintang (1948-1949)
• The death of Mahatma Gandhi and his funeral in India (1948)
• The Soviet Union after Stalin's death (1953) – he was one of the first Western photographers allowed to photograph freely in the USSR
• The end of the colonial era in various African countries

Photographic Style and Approach

Cartier-Bresson's distinctive style was characterized by:

• Strong geometric composition influenced by his painting background
• Use of black and white film exclusively
• Capturing moments of transition or action
• Finding visual harmony in seemingly chaotic scenes
• Humanistic perspective that respected subjects' dignity
• Minimal technical intervention – he used only available light and avoided darkroom manipulation

He approached photography almost spiritually, emphasizing intuition over technical considerations. Cartier-Bresson famously stated: "Thinking should be done beforehand and afterwards – never while actually taking a photograph." He believed that excessive concern with technical details interfered with capturing the decisive moment.

Notable Works

Among Cartier-Bresson's most iconic photographs are:

• "Behind the Gare Saint-Lazare" (1932) – A man leaping over a puddle in Paris, perfectly capturing the decisive moment concept
• "Hyères, France" (1932) – A spiral staircase with a cyclist blurred at the bottom, demonstrating his mastery of geometric composition
• "Valencia, Spain" (1933) – A child's joyful expression against a wall with bullet holes from the Spanish Civil War
• "Gandhi's Funeral" (1948) – Poignant documentation of the aftermath of Gandhi's assassination
• "Rue Mouffetard" (1954) – A young boy proudly carrying bottles of wine, radiating joy

Return to Drawing and Painting

By the early 1970s, Cartier-Bresson grew disillusioned with photography's increasing commercialization and the technical developments that emphasized perfection over spontaneity. In 1975, at age 67, he largely retired from photography to return to his first love – drawing and painting. He explained: "Photography is an immediate reaction, drawing is a meditation."

While he occasionally took photographs afterward, primarily portraits of friends and family, he devoted the last three decades of his life to sketching and drawing. He seldom gave interviews and became increasingly private, though he remained a towering figure in photography.

Legacy and Influence

Henri Cartier-Bresson died on August 3, 2004, at his home in Provence, France, at the age of 95. His legacy extends beyond his remarkable body of work:

In 2003, with his wife and daughter, he established the Henri Cartier-Bresson Foundation in Paris to preserve his work and support photography as an art form. His concept of the decisive moment fundamentally changed how photographers approach their craft, elevating split-second timing and intuitive composition. His work helped establish photography as a legitimate art form while simultaneously defining the standards of photojournalism.

Cartier-Bresson's influence can be seen in countless photographers who followed him, from documentary photographers like Josef Koudelka and Sebastião Salgado to street photographers like Elliott Erwitt and Alex Webb. His dedication to recording humanity with honesty and empathy established an ethical standard for photojournalism that continues to resonate.

Perhaps most significantly, Cartier-Bresson's work transcended mere documentation to reveal universal aspects of the human condition. As he explained: "In photography, the smallest thing can be a great subject. The little human detail can become a leitmotif." Through his lens, ordinary moments became extraordinary revelations about life itself.